Off The Record: Your weekly wrap of news and gossip from South Australia’s corridors of power

IN Off The Record this week — painful tumbles for two of SA’s most senior public servants, the Libs cull more MAC board spots, why SA’s disgraced Archbishop switched lawyers as he attempts to stay out of jail, and another big change rumoured at the LGA.

THIS week; It’s been a bad month for Adelaide’s amateur cyclists, the Libs cull more MAC board spots, SA’s most senior Catholic leader turns to his past in his desperate attempt to stay out of jail and another big change rumoured at the top of the Local Government Association.

CRASHING EXECUTIVES

IT’S been a bad month for the amateur cyclists at the top levels of the state’s public service.

Within 24 hours, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens broke two ribs in a fall, and his former police colleague Tony Harrison, above, now chief executive of the Human Services Department, also dislocated and broke his shoulder.

Human Services Department Chief Executive Tony Harrison dislocated his shoulder in a recent bike fall.

Harrison says he took evasive action on a boardwalk to avoid a mother and daughter on bikes on the path.

His bike slipped but, fortunately, the mother was an orthopaedic surgeon visiting from Sydney. She popped the dislocated shoulder back in, after Harrison had verified her credentials.

Unfortunately, later that day X-rays revealed the shoulder was broken.

Harrison had surgery on Monday and turned up to Budget talks looking like a winged warrior.

WILSON’S BIG BAR TAB RISES

THE state’s most senior Catholic Church leader has returned to his past in his desperate attempt to stay out of jail amid mounting questions over how he is funding his hefty legal bill.

Adelaide Archbishop Philip Edward Wilson, 67, returned to Newcastle Local Court room 6.2 this week after his landmark prosecution over his cover-up of a paedophile priest colleague’s abuse of altar boys.

Ian Temby QC AO. Photo: Neil Keene

The man tasked with keeping the disgraced clergyman out of prison was one of the country’s leading silks. Ian Temby QC AO rose from the bar table on Tuesday to give an impassioned argument about his “frail” and sick client and why he was at serious risk of harm if Magistrate Robert Stone sent him to jail.

For those sitting in the courtroom, it was déjà vu — the $1000-an-hour barrister was hired by Wilson back in March 2015 when first charged.

Temby’s pedigree is legendary — he was Australia’s first Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions before becoming the inaugural New South Wales Independent Commissioner Against Corruption. Having practised law since 1966, the grandfather, 76, was recognised with an Order of Australia in 2000 for services to law. The “living legend” was named in 2016 among Australia’s top 10 most powerful lawyers.

The Archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson. Photo: AAP Image/Darren Pateman

He replaced Wilson’s trial barrister, “god of evidence” Stephen Odgers SC — a three-decade veteran who charges up to $10,000 a day — who was overseas and unavailable.

His Adelaide-based solicitors, who have clocked up the frequent flyer miles, are respected Iles Selley partner Dominic Agresta and senior associate Hannah Doyle – daughter of former chief justice John Doyle and sister of Supreme Court Justice Sam Doyle.

But questions remain on how Wilson can afford some of Australia’s finest legal minds as the Church is not paying the speculated six-figure bill.

An appeal is expected after he is sentenced in a fortnight.

A church spokeswoman declined to comment.

— Andrew Hough

MAC BOARD SPOTS HIT THE ROAD

ALMOST two months ago, we predicted Labor-linked lawyer Adrian Tisato might be getting a bit nervous as the Liberals started culling board spots.

Now we can reveal Treasurer Rob Lucas, known for his courteous firings, won’t be renewing Tisato’s Motor Accident Commission directorship, worth $35,379 annually, when his term expires next Saturday.

“We’ll be thanking him for his services and he won’t be reappointed.” Lucas said, of the 2010 Waite ALP candidate.

It is understood the 10-member MAC board also will be reduced in size. Tisato is still on three other boards — SA Film Corporation ($7076 max per year), Art Gallery ($7076 max) and Independent Gambling Authority ($26,965).

Another who might be nervous is Kangaroo Island Commissioner Wendy Campana, given the Liberals, in Opposition, said the position was another layer of costly bureaucracy. She might be next to experience Lucas’s politesse.

HANDY HELP

LIBERAL Mayo candidate Georgina Downer is already facing an uphill battle to win back her father Alexander Downer’s old seat from the Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie.

Trailing in opinion polls, she’s facing a policy assault from a rival think tank to her own Institute of Public Affairs.

Ben Oquist. Photo: Kym Smith

The Australia Institute, led by astute Ben Oquist, has this month released Mayo-specific opinion polls showing strong support for protecting the Great Australian Bight from oil and gas exploration and the ABC from funding cuts. Sharkie has backed both campaigns.

Australia Institute communications director Anna Chang says nobody was being endorsed or opposed because “the Australia Institute is independent and nonpartisan”. But Sharkie is unlikely to be upset by the helping hand.

ROUBLES ROLL OUT TO STAGE BEAUTIFUL GAME

SOME staggering amounts of money have gone into staging the World Cup in Russia. Which makes you wonder how Australia would have coped if we had been successful in our efforts to host the world’s biggest sporting event.

Football Federation Australia wasted about $50 million when it had a crack at hosting either the 2018 Cup or the 2022 version, which ultimately went to Qatar. According to the Russians they have spent around $15 billion to host this World Cup. And that does not include some infrastructure and stadium work that the Russians say would have happened anyway.

Mile Jedinak of Australia leads his players onto the ground before the Socceroos’ clash with Saudi Arabia at Adelaide Oval in June, 2017. Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images.

It is estimated Russia has spent another $7 billion or so doing up the 12 stadiums across the 11 cities hosting games. There are rumours $2 billion has been spent on the St Petersburg stadium, making it the world’s most expensive. St Petersburg just happens to be the home town of one Vladimir Putin.

Imagine if this had happened at our own Adelaide Oval, where Australia beat Saudi Arabia 3-2 in a World Cup qualifier in June last year.

Still, the Russians believe they will make money out of the Cup in the long run. Officials have estimated the total economic impact to be more than $40 billion over 10 years and create something like 200,000 jobs.

RUMBLES CONTINUE TO ROCK LOCAL GOVERNMENT RANKS

THERE has already been one change at the top of the Local Government Association, and is another one coming?

LGA SA boss Matt Pinnegar made his first public appearance in weeks when he fronted TV cameras after the State Government unveiled the legislation it will use to try to cap council rates.

Pinnegar has only recently returned from personal leave and, while it could be a case of poor timing, it has coincided with some massive developments in the local government sector. A former Labor staffer, whether Pinnegar can continue with a Liberal State Government in charge has been a much-discussed question among political circles since the March State Election.

Matt Pinnegar. Picture credit: Bratislav Jovanovic

He and the new State Government have very publicly clashed over the rate capping push. LGA president Sue Clearihan seems more open to the move than her predecessor Lorraine Rosenberg, saying members would be consulted before taking a final position on the legislation. But Pinnegar labelled the concept as a “over-promise”. He made the comments in Adelaide while 88 South Australian mayors, councillors and staff were in Canberra at the Australian Local Government Association’s National General Assembly — raising questions among some mayors. In Pinnegar’s place in Canberra were Clearihan and LGA strategic adviser Chris Russell.

Pinnegar’s leave was to include this week, hence Russell’s Canberra trip, but he returned early on Monday to help with the transition to a new president. Former Liberal deputy leader Steven Griffiths, a former CEO of two councils, has been mentioned as a potential LGA boss. Griffiths said he was unaware of any moves but there was room for the LGA and State Government to co-operate on rate capping. He was interested “if there was an opportunity to be involved”, as a “firm believer in strong relationships”.